


Runner

by galvanator



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-27
Updated: 2014-07-06
Packaged: 2018-01-17 04:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1373503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galvanator/pseuds/galvanator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Thanks man, I appreciate it!” He said. A smile spread across his face that could light up a whole town. It made a small blush creep up onto my cheeks, so I nuzzled my nose into my scarf. “Oh ugh… By the way, I’m Eren Jaeger. And you are?”<br/>“Mikasa Ackerman”<br/>~<br/>Being alone has always been a way of life for Mikasa. But when her best friend Armin, gets a new roommate, it changes everything, especially how Mikasa see the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I'm trying out! Its my first SNK fan fix, so I hope I'm doing alright.

_I’m running. I’m trying to move faster but there are things in my way. Its dark all around me, all I can see is him. But every step I get closer to him, he seems to get further away. I have blades and I’m slicing the obstacles, but its not fast enough. But I’m closer now. I can see him turning around. I reach my hand out, and just as I’m about to see his face-_

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-

          I slam my hand down and jolt out of bed. I feel my matted down hair sticking to my forehead and the sheets are noted around me. _How bad was this one?_ I thought to my self. I looked across the room to the big mirror straight ahead of me. I was a _mess._ My black hair going in all directions, thick black bags under my eyes, and my body was still trying to catch up with its breathing. I reached up to touch the thin scar on my cheek; it always stung after dreams like that.

          It had been a couple months since they started happening. I would run and run and run to a boy whom I’ve never seen. But before I ever saw him, the world would fall around me and to would wake up in this condition. A shrill scream of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts and I searched for it hidden among my sweat-ridden sheets. _Armin Alert_ flashed upon the screen. I accepted the call.

          “Hey are you ready for the history quiz?” He questioned, sounding very busy. “Ugh, I think so. The only part I’m not so sure of is the essay portion.” I said, finally grasping reality, and realizing there’s a world out side that is more cause for concern than my dreams.

“Nah, your essays are always great! You’ll do well… but I’m more worried about the multiple-choice part. Wanna go to the library and study before?”

“Can’t we just study in your room? It’s always so crowded in the library before quizzes.”

“I have a new room mate moving in today. I was gonna give him some time to set up. How about your place?”

          “Hmm,” I looked around my messy and cramped apartment. I didn’t have enough time to clean it up and get myself presentable before Armin would come over. “Library sound much better. I’ll me you there in 45.” I said. “Will do… Are you alright? You sounded a little breathless back there.” I could sense him stopping whatever else he was doing, just talking to me.

          “I’m fine, I just had a rough night.” I told him, which wasn’t entirely false. “Was it the dreams again?” He asked. He was the only one in the world that knew about my dreams. “Sorta, I’m really just tired. I need a mental vacation.” I said chuckling at the end. He could sense my lie, and didn’t try to reciprocate my light mood. “Maybe you should talk to someone about this? Like a doctor…” “No. I’m not crazy; I just have bad dreams sometimes. I’ll see you soon.” I promptly hung up. I was mad, mostly at myself. _I shouldn’t take this out on Armin; he just wants to help me._

            I crawled out of bed and began to stretch every limb in my body, popping and cracking every thing that needed it. I sauntered over to the bathroom, carefully avoiding the mirror, or any reflective surface that would let me see how bad I look again. 30 minutes, and a much needed hot shower, later, I walked out of my door and locked it. I nuzzled my face in my red scarf, my big black and grey sweater hung over my body, and my jeans stuck to my legs, showing off their definition. There weren’t many things about myself that I was too proud of, but my muscles were something I admired. In an effort to forget about my harsh reality at home, I would go to the gym, nearly every day and workout for a few hours. That was before I was in college, but I still find a few hours in the week to go to the gym. It was a nice release, just to get thoughts off my chest.

            I walked along the sidewalk, many people rushing to class trying to finish out their Friday so they could party all weekend. One boy in particular wandering around with a pillow in one hand and a map of campus in the other, and a large suitcase occasionally being pulled by the map hand. He was directly in my path and I accidentally glanced up at him. Just then his eyes flew to my face and lit up. I lowered my head and tried to quickly walk past him and avoid eye contact.

“Hey, red scarf!” The boy shouted after me. I kept walking. _If I keep going he won’t chase after me._ Unfortunately he caught up to me, with a sling run/skip motion. “Hey, um, I’m kinda lost and I’m trying to find my new dorm. I don’t know if this is you or not, but my new roommate said that his best friend always wears a red scarf, and you’re wearing a red scarf, so maybe it you? Could you tell me where Shiganshina Hall is?” His mouth moved at a million miles an hour. I stared at him, wide-eyed and his stature hung over me, and made me feel almost _small._ “It’s just down this sidewalk, then to your right. There’s a big sign that says Shiganshina on it, so it’s hard to miss.”

“Thanks man, I appreciate it!” He said. A smile spread across his face that could light up a whole town. It made a small blush creep up onto my cheeks, so I nuzzled my nose into my scarf. “Oh ugh… By the way, I’m Eren Jaeger. And you are?”

_“Mikasa Ackerman”_


	2. Dinner

          The professor was talking about probability, but it might as well of been just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that boy, _Eren._ He was scribbling down every word that came out of Professor Levi’s mouth, doing so at an unprecedented rate. I was copying down it too, of course; I had a full-ride scholarship that I needed to keep up. But every time there was a pause, I found myself staring intensely at Eren.

          As it turns out, he is Armin’s roommate. Armin claims “He’s kind of messy, but fun to have around. He’s nice and he cooks too, which is a bonus!” I was invited to their dorm to have dinner tonight. I guess Eren felt bad that he has stolen Armin away from me this past week. Usually I go over to Armin’s almost every night, and study together. But since Eren has been there, they go out together to parties or dinner.

          “ _Come on Mikasa, you said yourself he’s not a bad guy, why can’t you just come out with us once?” Armin pleaded through the phone. “I don’t like going out to places where I don’t know many people. Plus I need the study time…”_

            Only the last part was a lie, but somehow, Armin had convinced me to come over for dinner tonight. He knew I couldn’t afford to go out to a dinner so Eren was going to make us a ‘Mexican Fiesta’… (Armin’s words, not mine.)

            Before I knew it, class was over, and many students had already packed up their things up and left. I was still absentmindedly staring at Eren before I snapped out of my daze. I saw him get up and go talk to Professor Levi before he saw me, which made me move faster. _If he sees me and wants to talk to me, what will I do? I already have to see him tonight, might as well save the embarrassment for then…_

          I rushed out, and just as I was halfway down the hall, I heard a slight shout. “Mikasa!” He shouted. I figured I’d cut my losses and just talk to him.

         “Hey, you’re coming over tonight right?” He said, in a half jog to me. I nodded and continued walking, trying to ignore the warmth that seem to radiate off his body. “Ah great! Usually we go out but Armin said that he needed to save money, so I’m gonna make us some food tonight!” He said with great enthusiasm. I blushed, too embarrassed to tell Eren that the reason we weren’t going out was because I couldn’t afford it. “I hear you’re a great cook.” I remarked. “Really? I hope so! My mom and dad fought a lot, and when my mom was mad she wouldn’t cook. I didn’t really have a choice but to learn how to do it myself…” He scratched the back of his neck, obviously embarrassed about offering something so deep, so casually to me.

          “I like to cook, I just never had the time.” I offered to lighten the mood. “You should come over early, and maybe I’ll teach you some of my tricks.” He said. He stopped walking and faced me. I looked down nervously. I wanted to get some study time in before I went over there; after all, I had an English test tomorrow. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want too!” He raised his arms in protest. “I’d rather be surprised by how well you cook” was all I could come up with. Another stupid grin spread across his face, and threated to burst his cheeks.

           “I hope to meet all your expectations…” Suddenly he gently touched my arm, as if to hug me. I slightly jumped in surprise. His had just lightly grazed my elbow before he dropped his it to his side. “I’ll, uh, see you then.” His face was redder than a tomato, so was mine, probably. “Yea, goodbye.”

~

_Am I too fancy? I don’t want it to look like I’m trying, because I’m not trying… I think…_ I thought to myself, as I stared up at Armin and Eren’s building, trying to muster the confidence to go in there. I wasn’t scared, but I didn’t want either of them to think that I was doing anything to impress him. Its sad, all I did was put on a simple dress (that was originally a t-shirt), and now I feel like I’ve gone too far. I couldn’t figure out why I cared so much. Armin wouldn’t care, and Eren seems like one of those kids that just doesn’t notice things like that.

          I walked into the building and up the stairs, and gently knocked on their door. Thankfully, it was Armin who answered. “Ah, you made it!” He declared with wide eyes. “I said I would. Smell’s good.” I remarked. I looked around, trying to find Eren, but he wasn’t there. “Eren made it all. He’s changing in the bathroom.” Armin said, leading me into the room. His dorm was cozy, a small bunk bed and TV in the far corner of the room with a small kitchen-like area on the other side; it was larger than most dorms, it was almost apartment like. Armin came from a decently wealthy family out east, and I assume Eren’s family is pretty well off if they can afford this too. “You look different.” Armin said. I clutched my jacket tighter around me and sank my head into my ever-present scarf. “Not different-different, but good different. You look healthier.” I lightly smiled. I had been trying to be better about what I eat, and started going to the gym on a continuous basis again. “Thanks…” I trailed off.

         Just then, a very tan, well built, slightly glistening with sweat, Eren came out of the bathroom. He was a shirt short of a full outfit. “Hey Armin, do you know where my strip-“ He cut off when he noticed me. His green eyes bore into mine, as if he just saw me kill someone. “Oh, hey!” He said, a smile lighting up his face, “you’re here.” I smiled lightly at him. “Ya, looks good.” I said. “Really? Good, I think you’ll like it. Do you know where my other brown shirt is?” He said to Armin. It’s not that I wanted to look away from him, but if I stared at his bare chest any longer, my face would be redder than my scarf. He sauntered out the door as Armin handed him a shirt that was on a bed. But I was lucky enough to turn around just in time to see his beautifully sculpted back. _This boy is going to be the death of me._

        I didn’t date boys, I’ve only ever drunkenly made out with a frat boy once, and God knows that hardly counts as a kiss. More like two people slobbering together. I glanced up at his lips; they were pink and soft looking, and slightly chapped. _I wanna kiss him._ Just by thinking that, by cheeks turned even redder than they already were. Why did he do this to me? Why is this boy, whom I’ve know for one week, making me feel like I’m in middle school again? It frustrated me to no end, and only continued to anger me thought dinner.

A sudden ringing of a phone shot me out of my daze. It was Eren’s and he stepped outside to take the call. “You like him, don’t you.” Armin said, with a menacing grin on his face. “Don’t be silly, I don’t date boys. He’s probably out of my league any way. Rich kid like him wouldn’t want to put up with someone like me.” I said, trying to hide the crack in my voice. “You made out with Jean, and I’m sure he would date you. He’s practically in love with you.” He retorted. “Besides, what makes you think he’s ‘some rich kid’? What if he’s from just a normal family like mine?” Armin protested. “Armin, your family isn’t normal. You have money coming out you nose. And correct me if I’m wrong, but he is a rich kid. I know things like this.” I said. I didn’t like it when people tried to make it seem like they were something their not. “He is… but that has nothing to do with him liking you or not. You’re a nice girl, there’s no reason for him to not like you.” I knew he was only trying to help my self-confidence, but I knew that girls with past like mine, don’t date boys with a family like his.

          Eren popped back into the room, and dinner began.

~

           “It was good. I haven’t eaten that much in a long time. Thank you.” I said grabbing my coat. Armin was playing some shooting video game with Eren, but Eren dropped his controller and stood up immediately as I began walking towards the door. “You’re leaving? But it’s only…” He glanced up at the clock. “Oh… I didn’t think it was so late. Well, I’m glad you liked it. We’ll have to do it again soon.” I only responded with a halfhearted smile. “Bye guys." I said, slightly waving out the door. I had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when I heard my name being called out. I turned around to see a frantic Eren running down the stares, and stop right before me. “Hey.” He said, catching his breath. “I’ll walk you to the bus stop.” He said, pulling his coat fully over his shoulders. “You really don’t have to do that.” I protested. “Of course I do! I’m your host, I should make sure you get home safely.” He said, and began walking. I followed slightly behind him, and he slowed down to match my pace.

           “It’s getting cold for October.” He remarked. I nodded. I couldn’t let him see how happy I was that he was next to me. “Feels nice, it was such a hot summer.” He was just trying to fill the silence. “You know, we should have a Halloween party. I haven’t been to a good Halloween party in, like, 5 years! Wouldn’t it be fun?” He asked so excitedly, it would put a 10-week-old puppy to shame. I couldn’t resist the bubbling laughter that erupted from my lips. He smiled, and glanced at me side-ways. “What’s so funny?”

          “I’ve just never seen someone so enthusiastic about Halloween. We should go to a party. Garrison Hall has a good one around then.” I told him. “You’ll go to a party with me?” He asked, eyes bright. I glanced down, “I don’t know, only if I have the tim-“ “Why do you do that, look down- I mean.” He said, making my eyes snap towards his. “The best thing’s in life happen when you’re looking up.” His hand gently made it’s way to my chin and gently lifted my head up. “Are you referring to yourself?” I said; I was so embarrassed by that remark, I almost looked down. “Maybe…” His hand stayed on my chin.

         Thankfully, the bus pulled up right then, Eren dropped his hand, I began to climb aboard without giving him an answer. “WAIT… math notes… I forgot to copy math notes. Can we meet tomorrow so I can get yours?” He said, rushed. I couldn’t suppress the huge grin that spread across my face. “Tomorrow then.” I walked back onto the bus, cheeks red as tomatoes.  “Ok, I’ll call you!” He shouted as the doors closed.

         For the rest of the night, I couldn’t stop thinking about Eren. His had, his voice, the fact that he probably took more thorough notes than any other kid in that class. And yet, he wanted to see me to ‘copy my notes’. Maybe he did really like me and I was wrong about everything, and (as usual) Armin was right.

Or maybe I was crazier than I thought.


	3. Orange Juice

_He was warm. His whole body was radiating heat, making me feel safer than I’d ever been. My head was resting on his chest, and I could feel every rise and fall that it made. His hand was gently grazing my head, sometime trailing all the way down my bare back, tracing little designs along the way. Sunlight was filtering in, creating a warm spot on my face. I looked up to see him looking at me as if I was the world and he was my creator. It felt good, too good…_

            I opened my eyes at the crack of thunder, followed by a heavy rain. I looked at my phone, _8:27. Ugh, class in 20 minutes, I’d rather just stay in bed all day._ I opened my phone and say that I had one unopened email. God must have finally answered my prayers, because all classes were canceled today, due to flooding. I felt so good that I turned over and pulled the covers back over my head, with full intent to sleep until 3:00, which is when I had to go to work.

            10 minutes into my sleep, Armin called me. “Classes are canceled.” He stated. “I know; this must be our lucky day.” I said, smiling through the phone. “Maybe yours, but not mine. I’m picking up breakfast from McDonalds, what do you want?” He said. “What do you mean ‘not yours’? And just my usual.” I responded. I heard a much fainter, yet instantly recognizable voice, in the background. “Tell her we’ll be there in 25 minutes.” _Eren._ “You and Eren are coming over?” I shot out of my bed. “Ugh ya. Hope you don’t mind. See you soon!” Armin hung up with out letting me get a word in.

            I shot out of bed faster than a bullet, picking up all my dirty clothes, trying to get all my trash in the trash, while simultaneously looking for a decent outfit to wear. 5 minutes into my rampage, I caught a sight of myself in the mirror. Dirty hair, bags under my eyes, and lips so chapped, it makes the Sahara Dessert look like a water park. _It’s no use; I have to take a shower._ I managed to get all my dirty dishes into the dishwasher, and get my bed made, all with 15 minutes to spare. I quickly texted Armin, telling him to let himself in, because I would be in the shower when he got here. I grabbed some jeans a tight fitting grey t-shirt, some underwear and a clean bra, put everything into the bathroom, and got in the shower.

            The hot water was a nice release, since my apartment was so cold. It was a super cheap, badly made, little shack a couple miles from campus. My dad had know the owner when he lived in the Maria district, and because the owner knew I was in a tough place with money, he let me stay in the apartment for half off the usual. It was shabby and cramped, but it was a home. I had kept all my furniture from my house out in the country, so I had a small living area of a sofa, and coffee table. My bed was right by the window, and across the small kitchen with a small dinette table and 4 chairs. A TV but no cable, no big art paintings, like Eren and Armin’s dorm. Just some sheer curtains and a few pictures from my old house. Everything was from my old house, even the white sheets over my bed. Somehow, the old lilac paint had somehow tied her white and brown and black furniture in together.

            About 20 minutes into my shower I heard a light knock on the door followed by Armin’s voice. “Hey we got breakfast out here when you’re done.” “Thanks” I retorted. I washed the rest of the shampoo out of my hair, and let the hot water roll off the rest of the sweat from that dream earlier. I stepped out and already I saw an improvement in my appearance. I dried off, put some lotion and my clothes on, applied come Chap Stick. Just as I was about to open up the door, the sudden realization came over me that _Eren_ was in my house. _Would he ask why everything looked so old? I don’t have the heart to tell him why I have all the furniture from my old house._ I panicked a little, before I realized that I was taking up too much time. I walked out and the first thing I saw were those green eyes, staring at me from the couch. “Well, you look clean.” He remarked, without breaking eye contact.

            I gave a small huff/sigh in response. “I got your usual right here,” Armin said, lifting a fast food bag, “lets put in a movie or somethin’.” I obliged, going into my closet to pull out a big box full of DVD’s. “Wow, you must have every movie in the world.” Eren remarked, looking though the box whilst drink the rest of his orange juice. “You pick,” I said, “You’re the honored guest.” He looked at me and gave me a sly grin. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He questioned. I didn’t respond, just walked to the other side of Armin, sat down, and began eating my breakfast.

~

            4 hours, 1 and half silly 50’s movies later, the rain was still pouring. “I’m glad they canceled class, I couldn’t stay awake if I was in class right now...” Eren said with a yawn. He stretched out his arm muscles, and I had to refrain from staring. Part of me had hoped he would look at me thought the movie, but he hadn’t even given me a sideways glance. I stood up stretching my back, and letting my shirt ride a little over my stomach, mostly to show off my newly toned abs. I wandered to the window and looked at the little city below me. The boys were still paying attention to the movie, when Armin suddenly stood up. “What’s wrong?” I asked. He grabbed his coat and patted his jeans for his wallet. “I forgot I was supposed to go study with Annie today. I’ll see you guys around.” _Liar._ I’ve known Armin for a while now, and I knew he was a shitty liar.

            I let it slide, simply saying “Oh, bye” to him as he slipped out the door. I glanced over to Eren who was already looking at me. He stood up and began walking towards me. “What are you looking at?” I pointed down on the window. “The traffic. You would think with all this rain people would stay in. I guess not.” I said.

I glance back up at him; he was staring at me, looming over me not even 6 inches away. I didn’t know if it was shock or lust that compelled me, but I didn’t push him away. My breathing slightly hitched when his face started coming closer to mine, bout our eyes still wide open. His face was flawless, nearly blemish free, his lips were even pinker than the night we had dinner. He stopped moving his face towards mine, just as our lips slightly brushed against one another. I couldn’t stand it, I pushed my lips onto his, and brought my arms up to his shoulders.

            His lips were soft and sweet, and we started off just lightly pecking. His arms wrapped around my face as he brought in his body closer to mine. We were moving at just the right rhythm, each of us fighting for dominance. His wet tongue slid across my bottom lip, and I gladly gave him entrance. We stayed like this for a while, only parting to take small breaths, but going right back at it once our lungs were filled. He had pushed me back onto my bed, and somehow I managed to end up straddling his lap. When we were finally done, I pulled away from him, but keeping my arms around his neck. His green orbs looked up at me and he still kept his hands on my hips.

            _This kiss,_ I thought, _it tasted like Orange juice._


	4. Books

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly M for this chapter! You've been warned!

            I stared into his green eyes just a little longer before dropping my arms, leaving only my hands on his shoulders. His face was a deep red, his eyes were bigger than mine, and his lips were puckering towards me. “I like you, Mikasa” He blurted out. I couldn’t tell if he meant to say it or not, but it surprised me nonetheless. I was at a loss for words, I wanted to break eye contact, but if I did that who knows what I would say. I didn’t want to tell him what I felt, but I had no choice.

            “I like you too…” I said, quieter than him. Within a second, his face lit up again, and his lips were hungrily searching for mine. He was rougher this time, immediately putting his tongue into my mouth, chewing on my bottom lip. I wondered how many girls he’s been with; he’s clearly not a novice at this. I discarded the thought just as I grinded my hips towards him. He let out a deep throaty moan into my mouth, and it felt better than anything I’ve felt before. I could feel his pants become tighter around his mid-section, just as he put his hands under my shirt. My fingers were intertwined in his hair, grabbing and pulling his head even closer to mine. His hands massaged my breast through my bra.

            For whatever reason, I accidentally caught a glance at my clock, and stopped the kiss all together. “What…” Eren trailed off, before moving his head to my neck, sucking on some skin there and trailing kisses. I gently pushed him off me and sighed. “Work…” I dropped my head. His hand gently brought my head back up to his, and in between kisses he said “Don’t go… just stay with me…” I let out a light chuckle as I took all the willpower I had to push him off me again. “I’m sorry… I have to go. We can meet again after though.” I said, almost embarrassed by my own words. “Mhhmmm” He responded, placing a gentle peck on my lips.  
           

            I sighed, pushed myself off my bed and walked towards my closet. I saw Eren fall back onto my bed, and look out the window as he lay there. “What time do you get off?” He questioned. “11” I said. This time, he sighed. I slightly hid behind my closet door while changing my jeans for some tight khaki pants, and traded my grey t-shirt for a black long-sleeved collard shirt. I stepped out, going to the mirror diagonal from my bed, and tried to tame my ruffled up hair with a brush. Eren sat up and began walking towards me, stopping behind me and putting his arms around my waist. He left a trail of light kisses along my neck to my permanently red ears. “I like you so much…” He muttered against my neck. I turned around and put my head on his chest, just standing there, enjoying the sound of the rain against the window.

~

            I was confused, to say the least. I’d only known the guy for 2 and half weeks, and suddenly I was going further with him than I’d ever been before? I know it’s pathetic for a 19 year old to only have gone that far with a boy, but it’s just something I didn’t have time for. After my parents died, I hid myself from the world, avoiding all intimate contact with people for a long time. A year after it happed, I moved to a city where no one knew me or what happened to me. It was relief, but it also got lonely. It wasn’t until I met Armin in my intro to Physic class that I spoke with any other student.

 _“I’m Armin. You’re Mikasa right? Are you from here?” A short blonde boy said to me. “No, I’m from the country. Lets get started on the project.” I said hastily. “Oh… all right…” the boy seemed slightly hurt, but it didn’t stop him from doing the project with me. He’s smart, smarter than me. I’m glad I got him as a partner._ It wasn’t until a few weeks that I actually started to really talk to Armin. He was in a similar situation, in which he didn’t know anybody or had the guts to make friends. From the beginning he always seemed to understand me, and what set me off. He was nice and he didn’t judge; it was refreshing.

            I was lazily stacking books in the back room, reminiscing on old times when the owner popped her head into the book room. “Mikasa! Can you go help Sasha in the front? I’ll do all this! Oh and tell Christa that Ymir came by looking for her earlier today and dropped off her jacket! Thanks a ton!” Hanji said, practically pushing me out of the room. I sighed and responded, “Sure, just be delicate with those books, they’re super old. I was trying to bind them together again.” “Will do!” Hanji said as she slammed the door. _She probably just wants to text professor Levi… he has come here more often these days…_

            I walked behind the counter, next to Sasha, who was waving bye to some customers. “Ugh, why do we always get the longest shift? We still have 3 more hours to gooooo…” Sasha said, groaning and resting her head on the counter. “On the bright side, we didn’t have classes today.” I said, looking through the returned book pile. “True… what did you do today?” She questioned. Almost immediately my cheeks and ears turned red, and I lowered my head even further. “Ugh… nothing, just studied and slept in…” I said. I looked up to see an evil smirk play across her lips. “You were with a boy, weren’t you?” She said leaning down towards me.

            “Don’t be silly! I almost shouted, standing up. “You were, weren’t you? Why else would you be so defensive! Tell me! Was he cute? Does he go to our school? Is he new? What does he look like?” I could hardly keep up with Sasha’s stream of questions, but a short blonde savior walked into the shop right then. “Oh, hey Sasha. I didn’t know you were working tonight. Connie said you going to hang out.” Armin said. “We were supposed to, but I got called in. Did you know Mikasa was with a boy today?” Armin’s eyes slightly widened in surprise, but I knew its not the first time he’s heard it. “Oh really? I’m sure Eren will be sad…” Armin led on, with a smug smile plastered on his face. I shot him a death glare while Sasha jumped, excitedly asking “Who’s Eren? Is he the boy? How did you meet? How far have you gone? Are you dating?”

            I sighed and looked over at Armin, who seemed to be having a wonderful time. “Well, if you need me, I’ll be at Jean and Marco’s. My roommate kicked me out for tonight, told me he was waiting on some girl… See you around!” Armin walked out of the store, prouder than I’ve ever seen him. Sasha was still spewing out excited questions at me when Professor Levi and President Erwin walked into the shop. “Hello girls,” Erwin greeted us “How are you?” Sasha smiled and answered him, probably taking up more time than they wanted to spend here. To alleviate their noticeable pain of not getting Sasha to shut up, I interjected. “I’ll go get Hanji.” I swiftly walked into the back, and let her know that they were here. “Already? It’s only 7 o’cl-… oh… Well, you and Sasha can go home for now. Do you mind closing up the shop? I wanna go party with my men! Haha, goodnight girls!” she practically ran out of the room, and went and joined Levi and Erwin. They waved goodnight, and I let Sasha go before me.


	5. Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty M as well! Enjoy :3

           The rain had let up a little when I arrived at Eren’s place. I had enough time to go and change before it got too late. I was still confused and overwhelmed by all the things that had happened today, that I could hardly realize what I was doing until I was half way up the stairs. _If he knew everything about me, and I mean everything, would he still like me? Do I even want this? Will he be able to comprehend someone like me with a past like mine?_ These thoughts swirled in my head, and I had to take a minute to breathe. There is no harm with making out with him a few times, is there? He is my friend, sometimes we’ll kiss, but is that all I want to be.

           After I regained my composure, I climbed up the rest of the stairs, and gently knocked on the door. Not even 2 seconds later, the door flew open, and a very animated Eren said, “You’re early!” He wrapped me into a hug before I had a chance to respond, and led me through the door. When he let go of me to close it, I told him “Hanji had a date so she let me and Sasha go early.” He smiled, gently touched my face with his hand before bringing his face to mine fore a gentle kiss. “Hello to you too...” I whispered through the kiss.

            “I picked up some food… and we can just watch a movie and chill, if that’s alright. But we can go out or do something if you really want to. I just thought I’d be better if we stayed in for the night-“ I cut him off with a quick kiss, which made both of us blush. “Let’s just chill tonight.” I said. He smiled and kissed min in response. I still hadn’t gotten used to this, it hadn’t even been one day. But it felt good, to be like this. Both of our faces were red hot with embarrassment, so that made me feel a little better, but it still scared me. _How far can I go with him? Before he finds out about my past…_

            Thoughts like those plagued my mind all night until, when we were cuddled up on his bed watching a movie; I felt his lips meet my neck. If I hadn’t been too lost in thought to know what we were watching before, this definitely made me loose my concentration. I turned my head around, and his lips moved to mine, his tongue already begging for entrance, which I denied him. Eventually he bit my lower lip and I gave it to him. I flipped myself around so that I was facing him and I was straddling his lap, and his hands began to roam under my shirt. I couldn’t stop myself from putting my hands on his beautifully sculpted abs, occasionally digging my nails into him, which only made him deepen the kiss.

            The room started to get fuzzy, and I could hardly breathe. Before I knew it I was lying underneath him, and he was pulling his shirt off. I couldn’t help but stare at his chest; it was beautifully tanned, with great definition. Eren must have noticed my staring because he suddenly scoffed and said, “Like what you see?” Instead of responding, I pulled his neck down and began kissing him again, and he didn’t object. “Mhmm…” I mumbled through kisses. He was moaning in my mouth like crazy, sending deep vibrations down to my core, and making me feel all hot on the inside.

            His arms left my hips and began to pull at my shirt, and I let him, I even rose when he pulled it completely off me. Now was his turn to stare at my abs, which were by no means identical to his, but came pretty damn close. “Like what _you_ see?” I teased. He gave a slight smirk laugh, but quickly found my lips again. He started biting at my neck, and sucking at a spot on my collarbone, which made me moan. I was so embarrassed by the sound that my hand quickly shot up to my mouth. He chucked, but continued sucking that spot; no doubt there would be a purple and blue hickey before tomorrow. I kind of liked that, since our relationship was so up in the air, and neither of us knew what really were, I liked having some form on identification to him.

            After a while, his mouth moved to the soft skin that was coming out of my bra; he was kissing and sucking one, while massaging the other. His hands lingered down to my back, and tried to unclasp my bra. A couple of minutes and many face contortions later, I finally helped him get it off, and he threw it across the room. Eren wasted no time, in going for my nipples, sucking and biting at them, and thumbing over them. My moans were getting out of control, and when I finally was about to be thrown over the edge, I accidentally let out, “Eren… “ My voice was so whiney and embarrassing. He chucked and trailed kisses back up to my lips. “I like the way you say my name” He said in between kisses.

            He brought his head back down and began massaging by breast again, but this time, he put one hand on my inner thigh. I had changed into a skirt and some tight high socks, and he was rubbing the area between under my skirt and my socks. I didn’t know why, but I was starting to feel uncomfortable. He moved his mouth back up to mine, and progressed his hand closer to my womanhood. I kept kissing him, but I just felt wrong. _I like him, but I don’t really know him… and I haven’t even been with him for that long…_ Finally, I grabbed his hand and pulled his arm out from under my skirt. “Eren… not tonight…” I said, sitting up slightly. He looked like a wounded puppy. “Maybe someday, but just not tonight… sorry…” I said feeling embarrassed.

I felt bad that we came all this way, but I was just not ready for that tonight. We didn’t know what we were, we had only started kissing today, and there was still a lot he didn’t know about me that might make him not like me. He sighed and then looked in my eyes, piercing my heart. “That’s fine, I understand. Just… please don’t leave. I know that this isn’t perfect, but I like being with you… just please stay the night. I promise I wont do anything you don’t want me to.” He said, with a voice so sincere I thought I might tear up. Instead of responding with words, I kissed him. That seemed to be our thing.

I pulled him back over me, and we continued where we left off, minus the thigh touching. We made out for a while, and ended up just cuddling and using each other as warmth. I fell asleep on his chest, and his arm draped around my side, tracing designs on my back. It was relaxing, and safe. That scared me more than anything.

~

            _The sunlight was streaming in, patterns from the trees outside casting shadows in the room. The sheets were glowing and it was warm… but it was getting hot. Hotter and hotter until it was so hot, my skin felt like fire. There was no one else in the room, just the white sheets and me. I wanted to run, to get up but I can’t. “Please… I just don’t like this heat…” I felt my skin bubbling, until I couldn’t think anymore. The room was turning to fire and suddenly-_

            My eyes opened just slightly, everything was fuzzy and grey. I raised my head a little, but let it fall down with a plop. I finally muster up the courage to open my eyes all the way, and the first thing I see is snow. It’s snowing outside, the first snow day of the season. The second thing I see is Eren, sleeping so soundly it would be like a crime to wake him up. But he was awake, his eyes looking up at the ceiling, his fingers playing with piece of my hair. His shirt was back on, and so was mine, but no bra. I sat up a little and shifted my arms so they were covering my chest. “Good morning” He says. His voice is soft and smooth, and it’s a nice change of the normal shrill beeping that I wake up to every day.

            I let a small go on my lips before sitting all the way up. I looked outside, and noticed that it was pretty light out. The snow was still making it gloomy and cold, though; I could feel it through the window. In that moment, I was very glad for the personal heater next to me. He sat up and put his hand on my shoulder and his lips to my neck, his arms lightly massaging my arms. I glanced over to the clock and it nearly made me stop breathing. _10:12_

            In 8 minutes, we needed to be in Levi’s class, and the classroom was at least 15 minutes away. “Class… we have class today!” I shouted. I shot up, glancing feverishly around for my bra and coat. “Come on Eren, we have to go to class!” It took him a little more time to register the situation, but as soon as he did, he was moving just as quick as me.

            Found my bra, and took off my shirt to put it on, but before I could get to it I noticed a purple spot on my skin, in the mirror. It was bright purple, and right on my collarbone, and you could even still see the teeth marks. “That’s hot” Eren remarked as he appeared behind me, stumbling to put his pants on. He gave me a light kiss on the shoulder and continued to fight his pants. I hurriedly put on my bra, shirt and coat, and tried to brush though my knotted hair. Within 4 minutes we were stumbling out of the door, racing as fast as we could to get to class. _We’re so screwed._

            When we got there, class had already begun, and Professor Levi gave us a look that could kill when we finally made it to our seats.

~

            When class was finished, Eren and I quickly tried to make out way out, without being noticed by Professor Levi. We were unsuccessful. “Oui, Eren, Mikasa, come here for a minute.” I took in a deep breath before turning around and walking towards the teacher. “Don’t be late to my class, _ever again_. I’ll let you off with a warning this time, only because Hanji likes you, and I don’t want to upset her. But never again, _ok?”_ His voice was stern and threatening. We nodded, and turned around, walking away. “Wait, Mikasa, I need to talk to you privately.” He called after me. _Damn._ Eren looked back at me, worriedly, but I gave him a reassuring not and told him to go ahead. He reluctantly went, and I reluctantly turned back to Levi.

            “I hope you’re not being badly influenced by him; You have full ride scholarship you need to keep up, remember.” I sighed. “I know. It was just one time; I apologize. “ I said. “He looked at me with worry. “I’ve watched your progress Mikasa. You have a lot going for you and if you loose it now, there’s no way you’ll get back.” He said. He sounded like my father for a moment and I looked at the ground. “You’re parents were good people; they only wanted what was best for you. They would be proud of you, but you need to keep it up.” He said, and it set a fire in my head. “Do you watch all your students like this?” His eyes narrowed at me, I could tell I pissed him off. “Not all of them; _only the students at the center of a murder investigation.”_


	6. Cheesy Fries

It had been a week since I’d talk to Eren, let alone talked to him. The encounter with Professor Levi had upset me so much, that I’d forgotten to even look for Eren when I got out of the classroom. He had called 12 times since then, and texted about 50 messages to me; I hadn’t replied to a single one of them. Armin was mad at me for not responding to him, especially since it was right after our romantic night. He’d even gotten Annie to text me to try and convince me to talk to Eren. Nothing would work on me. When I set my mind to something, I never faltered.

        And I had set my mind to leave Eren alone. I didn’t care how much I liked him (or wanted to like him at least) I didn’t need to involve him in a situation like mine. He was too good hearted, and I didn’t want to hurt him. _He’s good, and you’re bad and you don’t want to hurt him._ I hated myself for getting even that close to him, and it hurt even more knowing that he still wanted me.

        Its Friday night, and I’m where I am every Friday, at work. Hanji had put me on every night this week, so I had tomorrow to rest. “Alright girls, I’m out! You guys can go home once you lock up!” Hanji said, dressed like she was going to a club. “Ahh you look nice… Is Levi and Erwin picking you up tonight?” Sasha commented, wiggling her eyebrows. “Nope, I’m meeting them there. Levi said he doesn’t want to _‘disturb my work place’_.” She said, putting imaginary quotations with her fingers. _No, he just doesn’t want me to rip his little shrimp dick off._ “Well, goodnight girls! Don’t have too much fun without me!” Hanji said, slipping out the front door. Sasha just waved, and then looked back at me. “Are you okay? Like mentally okay? You’ve just seemed a little off this week.” She said, giving me a worried look. “Ya. I’m fine, just ready for winter break. No need to worry, I’ve got everything under control.” I lied.

        “You know you can tell me anything. I know I’m not Armin and we’re not as close, but I’ll always be here. And I wont judge you! Trust me, there’s pretty much nothing you could’ve done that I haven’t done worse.” She said. _Highly unlikely,_ but the gesture was nice. It’s always reassuring to have someone on your side. “Thank you Sash… I really appreciate it.” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. She smiled a sweet and sincere smile, and it felt nice. “Alright. Well, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna slip out early. Connie wants to catch a late movie, you’re welcome to join us!”

        I just shoot my head and told her to have fun. Within 5 minutes I was alone, with nothing but books and the sweet smell of dust to surround me. It was a different quiet here than at home. In my apartment, the silence was deafening, but here it was peaceful. Unfortunately, the door opening interrupted it. “Sorry but we’re closed. We open tomorrow at 10-“ I turned around and fell silent immediately.

          He was standing in the doorway, covered in snow, and looking awkward and embarrassed. “Armin told me where you worked, and it felt better than just showing up at your apartment.” Eren said, never breaking eye contact with me. I just stood there, clutching a worn out copy of Great Expectations, and tried to figure out what was happening. “I’m sorry…” was all I could muster up. It felt weak, compared to Eren’s loud voice, and that made them feel even more useless. He stared at me too, not moving an inch. It was about 3 minutes before one of us was able to talk again. “I was just worried about you. After that night, I just thought… and then when I went back to find you and you were gone, and you didn’t respond to any of my messages, I just got worried…” He said, finally looking away, walking around and using his hands to reiterate what he felt.

        I felt ashamed, to say the least. _I shouldn’t have just stopped talking to him like that. I’m the bad guy in this situation._ “I’m sorry… I should’ve been… I should’ve at least texted you.” I finally said. His eyebrows furrowed “And what would you’ve said? That you were sorry? Mikasa, I don’t care about sorry… I just care about why! Did I do something to you? Did I hurt you that night? I really am sorry if I went to far, I just really like you and I was so unsure…” He said, finally crossing to me. He wasn’t being irrational; he deserved to know why I cut him off.

        But I couldn’t tell him. That would involve telling him my past, and about my parents, and about the murder, and why I’m here, and not married to some farm boy with a kid on the way by now; and I wasn’t ready for that. “You shouldn’t be here” Was all I could say. He looked hurt, like I’d just stabbed him in the chest and twisted it at the same time. “I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just… I’m a bad person. I have a really difficult past and I have done unspeakable things. And I would be lying if I said that I wanted to bring you down with me. I like you, and that’s why I have to stay away from you. I’m sorry.” I said, dropping my head.

          I felt him walk over to me and grabbed my hand, making my head jerk up. “I don’t care about what happed in your past. You’re here now and that’s what matters. I’m ok if you wanna stay away from me, I just needed an explanation. But please, _please,_ can we at least be friends?” He pleaded. I looked in his emerald green eyes, and before my brain and mouth could work together, I whispered “yes…” A big goofy grin spread across my face, and it made me feel much better. “Good. And as your friend, I want to buy you dinner. Just as friends” He said, even putting his arms up for protest. I sighed and looked around me. There was nothing else left to do in the shop, and I owed Eren at least one meal. “Sure, why not.”

~

            Eren picked the place, a little diner a couple blocks from campus, and only 2 blocks away from my building. We were sharing a plate of cheesy fries, and two strawberry milkshakes; it was a scene straight out of the 50’s. “I feel like I’m the one who should be buying you dinner.” I said, giving a light smile. I wanted this to feel comfortable, not forced. He gulped down some milkshake “Nonsense! I’m the gentleman here, I pay.” He said, giving me a warm smile. He clearly wanted this to be comfortable too. “So,” he started “What do you want to talk about?” He asked, stuffing a fry in his mouth. I sighed and looked out the window. “We could try talking about ourselves?” He offered, looking hopeful. I gave him an odd look. “Look, I’ll even start.”

         Eren sat up straighter and cleared his throat, while I helped myself to a few fries. “I’m from Northern New York. My parents are Carla and Grisha Jaeger, my mom’s from a wealthy family and my dad kinda worked his way up to becoming a renowned doctor. My grandparents said it wasn’t an arranged marriage, but I think it was something like that. Anyway, they had a falling out when I was 8 and my mom bought a house in the Hamptons, where we live now. They’re not _officially_ divorced, but they don’t live together or talk to one another so… I think it just all politics, or else they never would’ve gotten married. I moved out with my mom, and spent the rest of my time living with her. When I graduated high school, I went to a college out by there, but when I went back home for summer, I hung out with Reiner and Bertolt, and they go here. They pretty much convinced me to transfer out here, and I really like it, for… obvious reasons…” He said, scratching his neck and looking down.

         I wanted to comment on him looking down like he had to me, but I decided against it and let him continue. “My first roommate here was _awful._ He was such an asshole and he had such a fucking horse face! It was ridiculous. Luckily, Reiner and Bertolt’s friend Annie introduced me to Armin, and the rest is history.” I laughed at the horse face part, he was obviously talking about Jean, and how sweet the rest of his life was. _How nice it must be, to just be able to be young._

          Thankfully, the conversation never led to me, and he never really touched the subject on my family. Before I knew it we were walking back, in the direction of campus, and it made me sad. “I like town when it’s like this. No one really drives because the snow, so it’s quieter. Plus everything kinda glows, doesn’t it?” I grabbed some show off a nearby ledge and looked over at Eren. He was looking at me, and smiling, not the goofy smile from before, but the kind of smile that made me want to kiss him forever. It hurt. I turned away, and tried to hide my blushing cheeks in my scarf. “I like town like this too. I don’t feel rushed, like the world is on pause.” He said, stopping to look up and hold his arms out while taking a deep breath. Even in the white glittering snow, and the dark sky, Eren looked tan and warm and _comfortable._

         “This is gonna be hard,” I said, “this whole just being friends. I like you too much.” I couldn’t resist myself from saying it. He deserved to know that I do like him and he wasn’t just a pair of convenient lips for me to dispose of. Now was the chance for him to look hurt. “We don’t have to be. Look.” He said, stepping closer and grabbing my hand. “I like you and you like me. I don’t care about your past, or your family, or anything! All I care about is you, right here, right now. All I’ve been able to think about this whole night is how much I just wanna hold you and feel you and be with you. I don’t care if it’s love or not; I really don’t care about the labels.  I just want _you._ ” He said, bringing his face closer to mine with every word.

        That did it, I couldn’t control myself any longer, and I let go of it. I crashed my lips to his, and he immediately responded the same. His lips were soft and chapped and warm and they felt even better than they did that night. Our mouths hungrily attacked each other, not caring that we were outside, freezing our asses off and in public. We had _needed_ each other, right then, right there. I sucked up every minute of it, and it was wonderful and slightly bittersweet.


	7. Keys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature! Enjoy ;)

            I fumbled with my keys while Eren was still going at my neck. It was getting harder to concentrate on anything _but_ his lips, which made unlocking my door increasingly harder. I don’t know how, but he knows every sweet spot on my body, and uses it against me. _Must be payback, he knows how flustered I am and he loves it._ By some stroke of luck, I was able to get the key in the proper hole, and open up my door without Eren detaching himself from me. He slammed the door shut and spun me around, finding my lips again.

            We were a mess, clothes half on half off, messed up hair, and both our cheeks flushed with lust; we must’ve been a sight for sore eyes. He pulled my coat off, while I tugged at his, and we both kicked off our shoes some how. We feel down onto my couch with a plop, still kissing and still trying to take off articles of clothing. His hands were fumbling under my shirt, trying to decide to grab at my hips or unhook my bra. I wasted no time in taking off his shirt, and taking in what I saw. His chest was chiseled, yet soft. He was strong, and his muscles showed it, but for some reason, he seemed buffer tonight than he did last week.

            “Going to the gym lately?” I whispered, in between kisses. He chucked a little, but he kept kissing me; my neck, to my lips, to my ears, even to my forehead. “When I saw how ripped you were, I felt a little inadequate.” He said. I felt his arms pull at my shirt and I let him take it off me, with my bra being lost in the process. “I’m not ripped…” I felt a little self-conscious, especially being fully exposed right after he said that. “You are, and you are beautiful.” He said, staring at me. I wasn’t long before his lips found mine again and our hands started wandering on each other’s bodies. His chest radiated heat, which must have been brutal with my cold hands, but I let myself explore all over his chest and back, feeling every crevice and muscle. _He felt so good_ was all I could think in my head.

            Before I knew it, my hands had traveled down to his pants, the top of his boxers sticking over top. I played with the hemline, before bringing my hands all the way down to undo his belt buckle. He grabbed my hand and pulled back from kissing me. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him. His expression was one of surprise, and he gently held my wrist. “Are you… sure? It’s just that the other night you said you weren’t-“ I shut him up with a kiss. “I know what I want… and I want you.” I said, so lightly that if there had been any other noise in the room, he wouldn’t have been able to hear me. That little statement was all he needed to continue kissing me.

~

            I woke up to the sound of rain hitting my windows. I was wrapped in Eren’s arms, naked, our bodies tangled together like a braid. He was already awake, I knew by his fingers drawing something on my back. Instead of looking up at him, I snuggled my face closer to his chest and he instantly embraced me closer, and kissing my head. Have you ever wished you could record a moment; everything you felt and how it looked? Because that was a moment I wanted to record, and play in my head over and over again.

            “Good morning” Eren said, groggily. I ‘hmmm’d in his chest and just kissed my head again. Eventually, I looked up at him, and he brushed the black hair out of my eyes so I could see him. “You’re even more beautiful in the morning.” He said, stroking my hair. I gave him a cheesy smile and he placed a light kiss on my lips. _This felt good, so amazingly to-good-to-be-true good._

            “I’m still sorry about last week, I just had freak out. I’m sorry.” I said, coming to the sad realization that the only reason this was happening is because I’m a bitch. “It’s in the past. Last night was a good incentive to forget all about it…” He said, making me feel much better. I know I shouldn’t feel better but I did, and I wasn’t going to force myself to be sad, especially since we were all better now. “I do know a way you can make it up to me though…” He said, teasing me. I cocked an eyebrow at him, and sat up on my elbow, while he did the same. “Go on a date with me. Today. I’ll go home and get cleaned up, and then I’ll come back and get you. We can go to lunch then to a movie, or maybe a library; whatever you want to do. I just want to spend the rest of the day with you.” He offered.

            I smiled, a real genuine smile, it made my heart race a little faster. “I would love that… thank you.” In order to hide my blush, I rolled over into him, and put my head in his shoulder. It was only then that I saw all the dark purple splotches all over his neck and collarbone. I gasped and shot back, inspecting all of him. He looked worried and quickly asked “What? What’s wrong, are you hurt?” I shook my head, and gently put my fingers to one of the many purple hickeys. “Did… I do _all of this?_ ” I said, horrified. He laughed hard enough to bring a few tears to his eyes. “My god… it’s just a few hickeys. You bite a lot. But I think you’re even worse… sorry…” He embarrassedly looked down and scratched his neck. I got up out of bed and slowly walked to the mirror.

            He was right. I looked much worse, mostly because my skin was so pale. Also in my case, the bite marks traveled down my whole back (there were even a few on my ass). He walked up behind me, and rested his head on my shoulder. “Does it… hurt?” I shook my head, and gave a satisfied expression. “Not at all… should it?” I asked. He laughed, not as big as before, but it was still like music. “Good, and no, it shouldn’t hurt. I must say, for our first time having sex, we did a pretty good job!” He said, teasingly. I chucked and turned to face him. “We must be soul mates.”


	8. Ice-Skating

            For the second time since I’ve known Eren, I was worried about what I was wearing. This was our first date; the first chance that I have to show him that I can be girly and fun, without taking our clothes off. I was wearing a dark blue dress with brown stockings and black shoes, and a white coat. I was warm, and _almost_ cute. The dress and tights showed off my legs, and my chest was pretty big (even under my dress and scarf) but I felt like my face wasn’t cutting it. I put on some light make up, and that helped, but I also was aware that Eren knew what I looked like without it, so there really was no use in being too tricky. I looked in the mirror one last time, mostly satisfied, then walked out the door to meet Eren.

            It wasn’t snowing outside any more, but it was cold and damp. I loved the city in the winter, but the only problem was, _it technically isn’t winter yet._ I pulled my coat a little closer and buried my nose into my scarf, trying to get past the cold and focus on the fact that it was me and Eren’s, _first date._ This is a big deal, right? This morning he had left so excitedly, saying that he can’t wait to meet up. Should I be worried? We’ve already had sex, but all this romantic gushy stuff was new territory for me. I could do physical love, but what if I was too cold towards Eren? All the boys I’ve dated before say that I am too cold hearted towards them. I don’t want Eren to think that.

            It was almost 1 o’clock when I walked into the library; Eren was standing by some magazines, holding 2 cups of coffee. His back was turned to me, so I walked up to him and laced my arms around his hips. “Miss me?” I whispered. He turned around abruptly, looking a little stunned, but he softened when he saw it was just me. “I did,” He said, giving me a peck on the cheek. He handed me one of the cups and grabbed my free hand, and fastened his fingers into mine. “So have you decided what you want to do today?” I glanced up at him, taking a sip of my coffee. “Hmm… not really. I thought we could go watch a movie. I think that new Disney one is out. Oh, we could go skating?” He prompted, and I gave him a confused look. “Skating… Ice-skating? I don’t think we have an ice rink around here…” I said confused. He laughed and gripped my hand tighter. “They opened one the other day, like the one they have in New York at winter time, they have one here now.”

            Ice-skating was a fantastic first date experience, but I could go sour very quickly. “It sounds fun, but I don’t think I’d be very good at skating.” I said. It wasn’t a full lie, I firmly believe that I would bust my ass in every way possible, but I really just didn’t want my first date with him to be that cliché. “Oh come on! I’m sure you’ll be fantastic at it! I’m pretty good myself, I’ll teach you anything you need to know!” His face broke out into a warm smile that I just couldn’t say no to.

~

            Eren turned out to be right and wrong. I was fantastic at skating. I was gliding and turning like a pro; Eren, on the other hand, looked like it was his first time seeing ice. From the moment we got onto the ice, he was falling. Backward, forwards, sideways; anyways you could imagine him falling, and then some. “You know, we can go do something else. I’d be fine with seeing a movie! We can probably make it to the matinee if we go now?” I asked, helping him try to stand up again. “No… I… will at _least…_ go around this godforsaken rink…. ONE TIME!” Eren yelled, his eyebrows furrowed into one thick line. I held his arm, trying to steady him, and being unsuccessful.

This time, we both fell to the ice, on our backs, with children not even above the age of 5 skating circles around us. I couldn’t help myself, and I ended up laughing rousingly loud laughter. Eventually, after he got past the initial anger, Eren started laughing with me. We were a sight, rolling around laughing in the middle of an overcrowded ice rink with spectators looking at us like we were crazy. _I haven’t had this much fun if forever._ Was all I could think; I was cold, and bruised and happy.

“Ok, so the ice rink wasn’t the greatest idea. What should we do next?” Eren asked me, sitting up. I was still lying on the ice looking up at the falling snow. “I’m cold…” Was all I could say, “Lets go somewhere warm.” He smiled down at me and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. “Ok,” He whispered in my hair.

~

            I wouldn’t say our date was over, we were still together, but we were heading back to Eren’s place. “Are you sure Armin isn’t there? If he is we’ll have to explain a lot to him and I’d rather just have fun than talk.” I said, Eren was holding onto my hand, dragging me around like I’d never been to his place. “He’s with Annie, I’m sure. That kid practically lives over with her.” He said. He was frantically looking from building to building, and it was starting to worry me. “What are you looking for? Did you forget where you live?” I asked, slightly sarcastically. He snickered “Oh hush. Ah! Here it is…” He said, pulling me in front of an old, Italian style home, which looked like it was falling to pieces. “I wanted to show you this!” He said, holding his arms out.

            I looked at it a little harder, trying to see something that should be intriguing about the house. I looked back at him a little worriedly. “Its… a nice house I guess…” I said, unsure of what I should be feeling.  “Don’t you think so! It has great potential, and its kinda dilapidated, so I could fix it up, make it nice and new.” He looked at the house in awe and I latched onto his arm and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He smiled, looked down at me and continued walking.


	9. Halloween

            I was tangled up in him, with the hum of the radio playing in the background. We were lying on his bed, tracing every inch of each other’s bodies with our fingers, around the edges of clothes and along all the scars. Sometimes he would peck at what ever place his finger was on, and sometimes I brought his hand to my lips to reassure him, for what ever reason. I liked how he smelled, I liked how we could just lay there and not say a word and feel so connected. I _like liked_ him.

            We had been in the same intimate position for only 30 minutes, when Eren’s phone rang. He seemed not to notice it until I told him to answer it. He reluctantly did, and I caught a glimpse of who was calling; it was Armin. “Hey bro, what’s up?” He questioned, casually, tracing the inseam of my tights. “Oh… it is Halloween, isn’t it?” Eren said. I had missed that face too, and looked at him in surprise. “Ya, she’s over here, why?” Eren suddenly brought the phone from his ear and pressed speaker. “Hey Mikasa!” Armin shouted through the phone. It’s not that I didn’t want to talk to Armin, just maybe not this moment.

            “Hello” I said trying not to sound too bitter. “So what are you guys’ plans for tonight, cuz I think you should cancel them.” Armin said, smugly. I gave Eren a peculiar look, and he did the same to me. “What do you have planed for us?” Eren questioned. “Sigma Kappa is throwing a huge party at the house tonight. Reiner invited Annie and me, and said that you guys should come too!” He beamed with excitement. “A Halloween party! Hell ya were in!” Eren said immediately. I sat up and gave a disgruntled look. “A party…?” I said. Eren sat up and rubbed my arm. “Why not? Today was supposed to be our date day! This is a perfect date!” Eren said. I pursed my lips and looked out the window.

            “I’ll let you guys handle this, but you better be there tonight! Even you Mikasa!” Armin shouted though the phone before ending the call. Eren looked at me worriedly and I just sat there. “I don’t like parties. Every time I go to one, something bad happens or I make a _huge_ mistake that I can’t fix. You can go but I’m gonna sit this one out.” I said, feeling kinda bad at disappointing Eren. He dropped his arm from around me, and his mood went from comforting me to being upset. “Oh, come on! It’ll be fun! We can dress up, have some drinks, and just enjoy our college experience!” He pleaded.  I sighed and fought with myself internally. _He’s right, you should enjoy yourself, and you only get to experience college for so long…_

            I glanced up at him, and gave a defeated smile. “There’s only one problem…” Eren perked up, “I don’t have a costume.” Eren smile wider than I’d ever seen; he was about to break his face this time. “I think we can come up with something.” He said, before placing his lips on mine.

~

            I felt _beyond_ ridiculous. I was wearing a black long sleeve shirt that clung to every piece of skin it could find but leaving half my stomach out for show. The leather pants were hot, but it felt nice to the cold breeze that I felt on my stomach. The shoes were ok, I guess, simple black flats, but it was the accessories that made this outfit repulsive (to mea at least).

_A goddamn cat collar and fucking kitty ears to complete it._

            Not to mention the sharpie-drawn nose and whiskers that completed the whole look. Eren had so lovingly decided that we would go as a cat and dog, and wear matching collars. At first, I thought he was joking. It wasn’t until he came to pick me up that he presented me with these fine pieces of our costume. He was wearing a tan shirt, tan pants (that weirdly matched perfectly) and some dog-ears with sharpie face as well. At lease he was covered a little more!

            I clutched onto his arm, trying to avoid the cold that the night had set in. “I feel so embarrassed… and why did you insist leather pants? You’re lucky Sasha let me borrow hers!” I said, half-pouting. He smiled and looked down at me. “Mikasa, as beautiful as you are, and you are always beautiful, you have never looked _hotter_ than you do in _that_ outfit. You know, maybe it was a bad decision to let you wear that… _in public…_ ” He leaned down and nipped at my ear. I shoved him away a little, but he just put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

            We were almost to the frat house, and we could already hear the music pulsing through the ground. “It’ll be a miracle if we get to spend 5 minutes there before the cops shut it down.” I said, as we stared in amazement at the scene before us. It was like a picture right out of a 80s movie; people swinging in the trees, toilet paper everywhere, and people running around everywhere, and a good many smoking. Eren and I maneuvered our way through the cloud of smoke and the almost-orgy happening outside, until we got thought the front door. Instantly, we we’re greeted by a multitude people, one of which being Armin.

            “You came! Good god Eren, what black magic did you have to use to get her to a party? Wearing that, nonetheless.” Armin said, looking at me surprised. “What? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I asked, even more self conscious than before. “Nothing!” he held his arms up in protest, “You jut look really good, that’s all! I think Sasha and Connie are over there playing beer pong. Annie Reiner, and Berthold are all in the back room. Come with me!” Eren grabbed my hand and pulled me as he followed Armin. There were many people I knew here; I even caught a glimpse of Sasha on Connie’s shoulders trying to start a ‘human giraffe’. They looked like they were having fun; I thought this might not be such a bad night after all.

            Eventually we found our way to the back room, one filled with books and booze and quite fewer people than anywhere else in the house. “Hey guys!” Eren greeted everyone. “Eren! My man! What’s up? I haven’t seen you since you transferred here!” Reiner said, squeezing Eren into a bear hug. I nodded over to Annie and she nodded back. Berthold offered a sweet “Nice to see you Mikasa, it’s been a while.” I smiled at him, “good to see you too.” I’ve always gotten along with him pretty well.  “Mikasa!” Reiner said, finally noticing me, “How have you been? You haven’t been at the gym lately… trying to loose some muscle so you don’t hurt Eren’s pride?” Reiner asked, sarcastically. It did earn him a soft punch in the arm from Eren. “I’ve just been busy. How are you all? I heard you’re majoring in Historical studies now.” I said, trying to make small talk. This is the part I hate, _small talk._

            The conversation went on, and they told me stories of how they convinced Eren to go to school here, and how he should be thanking them for being able to meet me. It was all very nice, and a little lackluster. Suddenly, Sasha came busting in, clearly drunk, and began hobbling over to us. “What are… you guys doing in…here? Let’s go out and _PARTY!_ ” She grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the crowd of people. A large plastic keg stood in the middle of the room and Connie was doing a handstand on top of it, while people were counting. Soon, Eren came and joined my side, locking his fingers with mine. “You wanna go somewhere quieter?” He shouted over the chant. I nodded, and he began pulling me out of the crowd.

As we were on our way out, I caught a glimpse of the actual frat boys, sitting in the kitchen, discussing something about they’re holiday plans. Eren must have seen them too because he suddenly turned towards them. “Hey, Marco!” He shouted. A few people turned to look, and of the few, the freckled boy glanced up and nodded our way, ushering us over. I could kind of make out a figure to his left, and as I got closer it got clearer.

It was Jean.

_Shit._


	10. Cats and Dogs

_“Yeah, get it Jean!” I heard shouts all around me. I didn’t know what was happening or whom I was with, all I could tell is that I was kissing somebody; and it felt good. I kept going along with it, which only made the woof whistles and shouts of encouragement keep going. It wasn’t until I finally opened my eyes to see the half-blonde half-brown hair in my field of vision that I realized what was really happening. His hand’s were fumbling around and there was spit all over my face. I quickly came-to and pushed him off me. I stumbled around before finding my way to the door while a very sad, very drunk, voice called after me. “Mikasa I love you… please come back…” Jean said, before Armin caught me and started pulling me out. “Oh man, you’ll regret this one.”_

~

            All I could think of was Armin’s words, and how I never really knew how much I would regret that night, until right now. It was too late to turn back, Jean and Marco had already seen us, and Eren was already halfway there. I followed a few steps behind him, not wanting to be putting myself into this landmine. Eren crossed his arms across his chest before finally standing in front of the boys. “Nice to see you Marco! Jean…” He gave a quick nod, and Jean did the same, “Jaeger.” I finally came up to them and instantly the mood lightened. “Mikasa! How rare to see you at a party especially aft-“ “Its good to see you Marco. And you Jean…” I quickly cut him off, before Marco could further indulge in the horror that went down last year. “Wow, Mika, you look amazing… I’ve missed you…” Jean said, standing up straighter and smiling down at me. I gave him a light smile before responding.

            “It has been a while.” I said, awkwardly. I may have been known for being cold, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get myself into uncomfortable situations. Eren immediately wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him, and further from Jean. “She does look good. We’re going as a cat and dog, _couple.”_ Eren said, drastically emphasizing the ‘couple’ part. Jeans face was filled with shock and horror, and a little disgust. “What? Are you guys… together?” Jean asked with a disturbed expression. “Yep, she’s my girlfriend. Is that a problem?” Eren asked, obviously egging on a fight. I stared at him and slightly jabbed him with my elbow. “Ah, that’s great! It’s good that you found someone here. I know you were thinking about transferring back out to New York, but you’ll stay here now, right?” Marco asked.

            I stared at Eren in a shocked disbelief. _What do you mean go back? Why are you leaving?_ I wanted to ask him, but I was too stunned to say anything. All I did was whisper an ‘excuse me’, and quickly get out of the crowd of people. I walked to the door, to any door, just trying to find my way out. This is the second time ever that I’ve been lost in this house and was feeling regret. _Did I really just start opening up to a guy who is planning on leaving? Why, I thought he liked it. Why would he leave, what about the house he wanted here? And Me?_

            My head was spinning, and I was loosing my balance. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, there were so many people here, I sauntered into to the nearest, most empty room I could find. The bedroom was preoccupied by 6 or 7 other people, but the small side bathroom was empty, so I shut my self in there and worked on my breathing. I gripped the sink counter so hard, my knuckles turned white, and I felt a little blood trickle down from where my palm pressed into the corner. I wanted to scream and kick, but that would do me no good, and only let people know how crazy I really am. _Why does this happen? When I really care about someone, bad things happen to me. I just want to be happy._

            I looked up into the mirror across me. It wasn’t until then that I noticed the steady stream of tears falling from my eyes. I didn’t feel like I was crying, I even had to touch my cheek to make sure it was really happening; _and it was._ I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to cry over a boy whom I’d only met a few weeks ago. I didn’t want him to mean that much to me. And it hurt, it all hurt, because he meant too much to me. _This is why I cut him off at first; I knew this would only be a disaster._

            A quick knock at my door startled me and it took me a second to respond to it. “Someone’s in here” I said, wiping my tears from my face, and trying to look presentable enough to walk back home. “Mikasa…” My body went cold. “Eren, just… go away. I’m sorry I can’t be with you right now.” Saying those words felt like throwing up glass. “Mikasa, please open the door and just let me talk to you, it’s not what you think.” He pleaded. I swung opened the door, shoved him into the small space, and across from me. “How is it different? Are you really going back? After all you’ve done with me? I know that we haven’t been together for a while, but I at least thought that you would stay here! Why did you go through all this trouble to make me like you, and then _leave?_ I don’t understand!

            He crossed the space and put a hand on my cheek. “I wasn’t going to leave! Especially not after I met you! I just said that to Marco when I was rooming with Jean, and that was because I hated him. I wouldn’t _dream_ of leaving now, you couldn’t do enough to get rid of me! Please, I’m sorry, I should have told you, but _honestly,_ I am not going anywhere. I promise.” Eren said, resting his forehead on mine. I was still angry and breathing heavily, but that was because I was mad at myself. “I’m sorry… I just though Marco was talking about you going back home, without me. It made me sick. I’m sorry, I should’ve listened better.” I whispered, lightly grasping his wrist that was touching my cheek. He sighed and let out a short laugh. “That thought makes me sick too.” Then his lips met mine, and I forgot all about our troubles.


	11. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its been so long and that it's a short chapter, but I felt like I needed to post something today, so here ya go!
> 
> It's M for being graphic, sorry!

Eren dropped me off at my house later that night. He knew that I was still upset about the whole 'leaving' thing, that I needed some alone time tonight. Still though, for the rest of the night he didn't let go of the fact that he was so sorry for not telling me about it, but that he wasn't going to leave now. It made me weary but I trusted him. I trusted him enough to tell him my story, but that was a matter of timing. I wanted him to know, he deserved to know. Plus, he probably already figured out by now that something wasn't right, the way I freaked out tonight. I sighed and laid on my bed, after undressing myself from the ridiculous outfit.

I watched the snow fall down and tried to decide how to tell him.  _Tomorrow?... no, that's too soon..._ It wasn't easy, mostly because I knew that it would change things, especially how he looked at me. Despite what he said, everyone looks at you differently when they know all of your secrets. I sighed and turned over and fell asleep, letting the memories and pain engulf me just long enough before I got to sleep...

_I was watching TV when I heard the loud noise. I thought it was my mom dropping something, so I called up stairs. The next sound I heard was a gun shot, many of them, firing off in the house. I was so shocked_ _that I ran into the the stairs, wanting to go up, but then I realized that if I go upstairs, I could be killed. I stood there, frozen, at the bottom of the steps, when I saw two big men charge out of my parents bedroom. I quickly ran into the kitchen, sheltering myself in the pantry. I looked around and tried to control my breathing at the same time. 'What happen to my parents, are they dead? What am I gonna do, How do I get out of here?' I started looking around for weapons, but the only thing I could find was a metal broom. I grabbed that and armed myself. I needed to fight if I wanted to live. I didn't even realize the tears streaming down my eyes, all I could think about was the timing, and how I should fight. I felt one of the men pass by the door, waited a few more seconds, then with my weapon of choice, charged out of the pantry._

_At first it was blurry, but once I realized where they were, I quickly cleared my head and started fighting. I hit them in the head with the broom, knocking one off his feet, while jamming the other guy in his eye with the hard end. Once the guy on the ground started realizing what was happening, he tired to stand up, but I kicked him in his head and gut, while continuing to hit the other guy with the broom. I worked my way over to the counter and suddenly one man stared pulling out his gun, and I realized what I had to do. I quickly spun around and grabbed the rubber end of the knife, and spun around again and jammed it into his chest. I didn't have time to comprehend every thing before I got back up, grabbed the knife from his chest and threw it at the other man. I landed right inside his throat and the blood started pouring out. I realized then what I had done and my body froze up. Blood was pooling on the ground now and I couldn't move._

_Two big arms wrapped around my neck picking me up and choking me. I used my legs to propel my body up so that he had to let go of my neck and I was on his back. I remembered the selfdefense class that I had taken before I could take martial arts and I started to do the one move I thought I'd never have to do on anybody. I put my arm around his neck to his shoulder, I put my other arm around his face, and twisted. It didn't take too long before I heard the crack and his body fell limp with blood rushing out of his mouth. I climbed off of him and looked around me._

_What had I done._

-

I awoke to my phone buzzing in my ear. It was Eren, texting me how sorry he was about last night, and asking if we could meet up again. I decided to call him instead, to ease him of his worry a little. He picked up on the first tone. "Mikasa! Hey, I really am sorry about last night. I just wanted to clear things over with you again, because I'm defiantly not leaving. Can we meet up, I'l bring breakfast?" I let out a little chuckle on how cute he sounded. He must have been really worried last night. "Of course," I said, "you can come over to my apartment if you want." I heard him let out a sigh of relief. "Great! I'll be over in a few! Oh, and Mikasa?" He asked, all timid again. "Yes?" I responded. "I wanna say 'I love you' but I'm worried that it might freak you out, so for now, I'm just gonna say 'I _really_ _really_ like you, ok?" I felt tears prick my eyes and I tried to control my breathing. "I _really really_ like you, too, Eren." I said. I could practically feel him smiling through the phone.

He was here quickly, but I had enough time to wash my face and organize my room a little. The moment I opened the door, he pulled me into a deep kiss, leaving no room for air. "Hello.." He said breathily. I pecked him again and led him into my apartment, shutting the door behind him. He put the food down on my coffee table and wrapped his arms around me. I let him, it felt too good. "I was so worried last night. I thought you would disappear again, and it scared me." He said with his face in my hair. I hugged him tighter. "As long as you don't leave, I'm ok." I said. We let go and made our way to the couch, turned on a movie and began eating. Once we finished eating we were all over each other, not necessarily kissing (we did that too but,) mostly just tracking our bodies, feeling one another wordlessly. It felt so good just to have someone touching me.

After a while of feeling, I decided to tell him everything about me, he deserved that much. "Eren, there's something I need to tell you." I said, sitting up straight, grabbing his hands from my sides and pulling him to face me. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at me. "It's about my past. And why I didn't talk to you for that week and why I freaked out last night." He understood that this was going to be serious, so he sat up straight too, but never let go of my hands. "My parents were murdered in an home invasion. Three men climbed in through their window while they were in there and they were shot." His eyes widened as I told him my story. He held my hands tighter and was about to say something, but I cut him off. 

"I was inside the house too. When I heard the gunshots I hid in a closet and waited for them to come downstairs. Once they did, I attacked them. I was into martial arts and self defense and play a lot of sports so I had a lot of strength. I beat them, Eren. _I killed all three men_."


	12. A Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I finally got into this again! Woop-woop! :3

It took him a few minutes to adjust, unsurprisingly. After hearing that kinda information, anyone in their right mind would need a while to comprehend what I had just told him. His grip on my hands had loosened and his whole body was slightly limp. I didn't know what to say; what was there to say?  _I'm sorry I killed these people, but I_ _could've died_? Or Hey, _it's not that bad, they deserved it anyways?_ No, nothing was right, only silence was right, and that was all that was going to happen. I couldn't even look at him, I was so ashamed. I don't know if it was for what I did, or if its because I let us get this close without telling him.  _Would he hate me now? I wouldn't be surprised. Most people don't have the capabilities to deal with someone as screwed up as I am._ I thought to myself. As I stared down at my lap, feeling his unmoving hands in mine, I tired to savor it, I thought that this is the last time he'll ever want to see me.

Suddenly, Eren wrapped his arms so tightly around my body, pressing his face into my shoulder, gripping me with all he had. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever. I swear, Mikasa, you can never leave me. I love you, l love you." He said. He pulled his face back and put my face in his hands, wiping at the warm liquid running down my face. Even he had a few tears rolling down the sides of his face. I couldn't contain it anymore. I broke down, letting myself cry and wail and feel all the pain that I've accumulated over the past couple of years. I let it all out and he just held me and rocked me and was  _there_ for me. And thats what I needed. He just comforted me as I let out all the years of hurt and pain in his arms.

It was so rare for me, to be this emotional. But when someone I care about as much as him, accepts me and tell's me that it's all gonna be ok, I can't hold myself together. I cried and screamed for hours, maybe longer, until I fell asleep in his arms with him shushing me and consoling me. When we woke up, it was nearly 4 o'clock and the hazy day had only gotten darker. "Hey.." He whispered, We both sat up a little, and I stretched my arms in the air. "You really do look like a cat sometimes." Eren said grinning. I gave him a small smirk in return and he just laughed. "What are we gonna do tonight?" I questioned him, knowing that after our nap, he would probably have a lot of energy.

"We could... go see a movie? Or walk around town?" He suggested. I pursed my lips.  _Movies mean money, and I don't want to make him always pay for me. And window shopping means money too..._ An idea suddenly hit me and I nearly jumped out of the couch. "I have a better idea. Let's go." I stuck out my hand and he smiled and took it.

-

By the time we made it to the park, it was nearly dark outside and the fairy lights that illuminated the area were just coming on. "Mikasa, where in the would are you taking me?" Eren questioned and laughed. I smirked, quickly turned a corner and let go of his hand. I started running down the alley way of trees and I could hear him call after me. Once we reached what I was looking for, he caught up to me and leaned down to catch his breath. "Damn, you sure are fast.." He said breathlessly. "Look," I start,"Since you grew up in the city, you missed out on a pivotal childhood experience. _Climbing trees."_ I said. The tree we were standing in front of was the only climbable tree this side of Maria. It was the tallest and oldest tree in the park, and when I came here in the summers with my family, I put my tree climbing to good use here. _  
_

"I've climbed trees before!" He retorted. I gave him a sideways look, and he scratched the back of his neck and looked down. "I mean... not like this, but I've climbed trees before." I let out a small giggle. "You've never really climbed a tree until you've reached the top and got to see the view." I said, walking towards it and jumping to cling on to one of the lower branches. "Come on! It'll be fun. And I promise not to beat you to the top as long as you don't fall out." I said, half joking half not. That coaxed him to do the same as me. "One; you don't have to promise to beat me to the top because I'm  _sure_ I can get there faster. Two; I won't die, I haven't spent nearly enough time with you to be ok to end this here." He said. I just similes and continued to climb.

Once we got to the top (Eren got there first, but not because he's the better climber, I did make a promise, ya know), We looked out over the city. It was hard to get a view like this in a place with buildings so high, but we were able to see most of the town. We could see campus and even the edge of Eren's hall. We sat there for a little while, embracing the city. "I've never seen something like this in person. It feels like a movie.." He said, in awe. It was nice, sharing something that special with someone special. "You're the only person I've ever taken up here." I told him. He looked at me for the first time since we made it to the top. "How did you find this place?" He questioned, half laughing. 

I looked out over the town, people looked like ants from far away. The buildings were all lit up and the city's night life had just started to come out. "My dad grew up here. This used to just be a forrest with no tall buildings when he was a kid. Once the city started booming, he moved to the country. Thats were him and my mom met." I said, trying not to sound sad. I figured that I'd already told him about the bad things in my past, I might as well show him some of the good. He kissed my cheek and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Does it make you sad, remembering them?" He questioned. I furrowed my eyebrows and pursed my lips. "It should, but the incident happened so suddenly that it makes it easier to only think of the good things. I don't like to dwell on the past. I figure they would want me to be happy. After all, this is the college they wanted me to go to. I worked my ass of to get a scholarship to get in and that would've made them happy. I'd like to think they'd be proud of me. I say everything I do is for myself, but I always kinda hope that they're cheering me on from... wherever." I said.

"You're the strongest person I've ever met." He remarked. I looked at him and gave him a halfhearted smile. He pecked the bridge of my nose, and I swung down the branch. "C'mon, let's get food." I said. he just grinned and followed me.

-

Eren made it out of the tree with minimal cuts and bruises, much to both of our amazement. We held hands after we got out of the tree and it felt so nice. It had been so long since I've don't cutesy couple things like this, and it was a nice change of pace. "Where do you want to go?" He questioned. I knew that in a week I had to pay rent and being on my own didn't really mean that I could afford to go to nice places often. "We could just go back to my place and make frozen pizza's or something like that..." I said. Spending money wasn't something that I got very often, and when I did, I didn't like to use it on food.

"Let me take you out to dinner please! You're my girlfriend! I can spoil you all I want." He said putting his forehead to mine. I sighed and backed up. "I don't like to take things from people, Eren. I feel bad..." I said, looking down. "Oh come on! You said it yourself, 'I'm a spoiled rich kid', why can't I spoil you?" He said, slightly mad. My head shot up in defiance. "Who told you I said that?" I defended. Even if it was true, I didn't want him to know that I said it. "I live with Armin, ya know. We're good friends too." He said.

We both took a minute to calm down, after all, we were fighting about something trivial, and we both knew that. "I shouldn't have said that about you. I'm sorry." I said, looking at my feet. He let out a long breath the walked over to me and hugged me. I hugged back, stealing the warmth from him that ever seemed to cease, even in the snow. "I know. I still do wish you'd let me spoil you and take you out to a fancy dinner one night." He said. I nuzzled his neck. "How about we go somewhere mediocre to night, then I promise, I'll let you take me somewhere really fancy one night." I said. He kissed the top of my head. "Deal" he said. I looked up at him and he brushed a piece of hair from my face and kissed me.

It was a slow deep kiss that made my head spin. It felt like a dream, this whole experience, Eren himself was dreamlike too.

I didn't ever want to wake up. 


	13. Car Rides

Eren groaned and rolled over so that he was on top of all my books, and begged for attention. "Let's go do something. Like break in somewhere and make out. Or go back to the tree. Anything! Let's just... take a break from studying..." Eren pleaded. I sighed and patted his hair. "I would love to go do something dangerously illegal with you, but we _need_ to study." I remarked. He let out a defeated huff before sitting back up and facing me. "You've been studying every day this week for hours on end! We've only had sex once this week! It's ridiculous." He pouted. "Some of us have a full ride to keep up... and with pretty much every teacher trying to fit in a test before thanksgiving break, I need the study time." I remarked. He pouted even harder (if that was possible) and turned away from me. "Plus, I thought our relationship wasn't just about the sex." I said, playfully sad. He turned and grinned at me and gently pecked me on my lips. "You're right... but it is a nice perk..." 

It had been nearly three weeks since I told him about my parents, and we've been inseparable since. We were together everyday, he always walked me too and from classes, bringing me coffee nearly every morning. It was nice, have someone who was always there for you no matter what. He even bought me tampons one night; if that doesn't make him a great boyfriend, I don't know what would.

He kissed me again, deeper this time, putting his hand on my cheek and moving his body so that I was trapped inside of his legs. He started getting moving his hands all over my body and I could tell where he was going with this. I pulled back but he kept kissing my neck. "Eren, study time, please..." I pleaded. He let out a long sigh and rested his head on my shoulder. I rubbed his arms and started turning my body. "I'll keep studying with you on one condition." He said, forcefully. I arched one of my eyebrows and continued to organizes my papers. "Oh? What's that?" I asked. "Come home with me for thanksgiving."He said, casually.

I snapped my head over to look at him, a slight bewildered look on my face. "Look," he implored, " Its just for 3 days. We can stay at my house right on the beach, you'll love it! And my mom, she'll love you! You can even have your own room, or you can stay in mine! She always makes really good food and my house is always super clean so-" "Ok." I said, shutting him up. He looked up at me, eyes wide in astonishment. "Really?" He questioned. I nodded. "I've already made enough to pay rent this month, so I don't need the hours. Plus I haven't left Maria in over 6 months. I think it would be nice to get out of the city." I said, nonchalantly as I could manage. Secretly, it scared me to death to meet his mom, but if we were really in this together, this might be the best of chances. He let out a relived sigh and pulled me into a sloppy kiss. "Thank you, thank you...  _thank you."_ He said, kissing me sweeter this time. "Shouldn't I be the one thanking you here?" I asked and laughed a little. He chuckled. "It feels like you're  doing me a favor. My mom is really important to me, I really want you to meet her." He blushed and I pecked his cheek. "I can't wait."

Needless to say, not very much studying went on after that.

-

Three days, and 4 aced test later, I was staring at my closet with Sasha, Annie, and Christa talking about some TV show that they wanted to watch together. Now a days it was hard for all of us girls to get together for just a girls (mostly due to significant others), so tonight was a special occasion. Eren had agreed not to crash it because we'd have 3 full days with each other, starting tomorrow. But now came the hard part;  _packing._

"What do people usually wear in the Hampton's?" I questioned Annie, she was from there, just like Eren, Riener and Berthodlt. "Linen, mostly. You don't seem to have much of that, thought..." I groaned and sat pretzel style across from my closet. "You have a lot of cute clothes, Mikasa! I'm sure you can find three days worth of clothes." the ever-optimistic, said. "But it's rich people dress there. I have old clothes that are permanently wrinkled. And I really need to impress Eren's mom." I said, intently staring at my clothes. Sasha got up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "No need to worry! We're women, impressing people is our area of expertise. We can, _and will,_ find clothes that will make Eren's mom want to adopt you herself!" Sasha's power talk gave me some hope, but I still knew the mission ahead of us.

"If all else fails, just tell her that all of your clothes burned in a fire and these were the only clothes that could be saved." Annie said. "Annie, let's try to not be so morbid right now." Sasha snapped. She just shrugged and played with her nails. "Ok, let's see.... how about this?" Sasha pulled out two articles of clothing that made even me cringe. "I want to look nice, not amish." I said. She dropped her head, defeated. "Let me give it a try." Christ a got up, set to give it her best shot.

4 hours and 5 mother-loving outfits later, we all were sitting on my bed, exhausted. "What time do you leave tomorrow?" Christa questioned. "Eren's picking me up around 9, so we should be there by 3. I think Bertholdt and Reiner are driving with us, too though." I answered. "We should probably get going then" Christa said sitting up. We all got up and stretched, slowly making their way to the door. Christa and Sasha both gave me hugs of good luck (and an added slap on the but from Sasha), but Annie stopped just outside my door and turned to me, while the other girls made their way down the hall. "She's gonna love you. You don't need fancy clothes to make that happen. Text me if you need any etiquette tips." I let out a small smile and she returned it. She gave me a strong hug before she left then closed the door behind her. Out of all my friends, I related to Annie the most. She understood me in a way that no one else could, she never needed an explanation as to why I was the way I was, she just accepted me and went on with life.

Everyone needs a friend who dose that. I was very thankful for Annie, and always would be. I went to bed with thoughts swirling around in my head about tomorrow.  _Would she really like me? Am I just being too nervous? What if she actually hates me and forces Eren to break up with me?_ I tried not to let my thoughts consume me, and quickly fell asleep.

-

It was 7:30 when my alarm went off. I took time in the shower, making sure I was super clean and moisturized. I wanted to look healthy to his mom, but my pale skin always told otherwise. I could get away with it in the winter, but it always made me look a little more sickly, especially next to Eren's healthy dark skin. I knew better than to try self tanner at a time like this, but I did pay extra attention to my make up this morning. When Eren came to pick me up, Bertholdt an Reiner were already in his car. "You look nice" Eren remarked as he pecked me on the cheek and grabbed my luggage to put in the trunk. "Thanks.." I said, helping him shut it. He turned to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders and placed playful kisses all over my face. "I'm really happy about this, if you couldn't tell." He said, I just grinned. "Thank you for this, I know it's not in your comfort zone, but I promise, you'll have a good time." I pecked his nose and Reiner started honking the horn. "COME ON LOVE BIRDS" He shouted through the window. Eren rolled his eyes and I just chuckled.

I ended up sitting in the back with Bertholdt, mostly because Reiner complained that he didn't have enough leg room in the backseat, so he demanded shotgun. Eren protested, but I said it was fine. If me and Eren sat next to each other, we'd probably be more affectionate and I didn't need Reiner's constant sarcasm for 5 hours. Anyways, I liked Bertholdt. He was always very considerate and it was nice to have a conversation with him; as awkward as he was, he could hold a conversation about anything.

The ride didn't feel too long, I just listened to music and slept a little through it, but it was nice to see the landscape. I almost forgot how beautiful the countryside is, but when I drive through it, it always makes me miss home. I think Eren could tell, because he was glancing at me through the rearview mirror every 5 seconds. It even gained the attention of Reiner, who commented "We get it, she's hot. But I'd really appreciate it if you kept your eyes on the  _road."_ That earned him a punch in the arm from Eren, and me and Bert just laughed.

We dropped them off at their houses first, both sprawling mansions that could house a small country if it needed too. All the buildings here were beautiful and large. The homes, the stores, even the beach huts that usually are slightly aged, were brand new and shining. Eren was talking about all the shenanigans that he did growing up here, pointing out different places that he left his mark. I felt like were were reliving his childhood in a way, and it was nice. We reached a neighborhood that seemed somewhat different from all the rest. They were all gated driveways, with houses covered by trees. From what I could tell, they were much nicer than even Reiner and Bert's houses. It scared me, and Eren could tell. He grabbed my hand and intertwined out finger, and brought the back of my hand up for a kiss. "She'll love you, don't worry." I just smiled and tried to hide my worry.

We reached the end of the road, and there was a large gate flanked by two trees that must have been thousands of years old. He pulled up and pressed a few buttons on a key pad beside the gate. When they opened he continued to drive down the never ending driveway until he reached his house- if it could be called that. The mansion was larger than some of the buildings at the school and nicer than anything I've ever even seen. It was a creamy white on the outside, with a big crystal light that hung above the oversize entry way. In the distance, I could see a stable of what seemed like horses and on the other side, the white beach. In the time it took me to digest all that was the Jeager  _estate,_ Eren had pulled out our bags and opened the car door for me. "You like it?" He questioned, as if I could say it was anything less that amazing.

"It's.... so... _sparkly."_ I said, still taking it all in. "Come on, they driver is gonna take the car to the garage. Don't worry about your suitcase, Malcom will take it upstairs once he gets back." He said pulling me out of the car. "Driver? You have a driver?" he just laughed and rolled his eyes. We walked into the grand house and I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or not. "Mom, I'm home!" Eren shouted, shrugging off my coat and helping me take mine off as well. Almost instantly, a small woman appeared out of one of the many entryways and practically ran over to Eren.

_Ok, it's game time now._  


	14. Gold

Eren's mom engulfed him into a bear hug, not even noticing my existence. You couldn't blame her though, he was her only child after all. She released him and put a tender hand on his face, it made my heart ache. "Mom," He started, pulling her hand off his face and looking towards me, " this is Mikasa." He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to her. She smiled warmly at me and embraced me in a hug. It felt so good to be hugged by a mother, even if it wasn't mine. "Eren has told me all about you, thank you for keeping him in line." She joked, I let out a small laugh and a smile. It felt good to be in a home, not just a house. "Mom..." Eren said embarrassed. His ears turned red and I knew that he was happy and scared. "Don't worry, all good things. He even mention how gorgeous you are, but my gosh! It didn't do you any justice!" She said, arm still wrapped around my shoulder.

"Thank you, very much." I laughed. She smiled and looked back at her son. "Ok, mom that's enough." Eren said, beat red. You'd think that after everything we've shared, he wouldn't get as nervous but here he was, red as a tomato. "Why don't you show her around the house, huh! I have to go settle some plans for Thursday, so why don't you guys explore and I'll be back for dinner! I'm sorry I have to leave so soon but-" 'Its ok mom, have fun." Eren said, pulling me away from her. "Goodbye kids, be good!" She said, walking out the door, whilst Eren pulled me up the stairs. I waved bye to her and began to look around at the extravagant house. 

"Sorry about her, she's.... over-loving, I guess." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't mind its nice." He pulled me down a hallway lined with expensive looking paintings and a few baby pictures of Eren. He was walking to fast for me to really inspect them, but before i had time to protest, he pulled me into a room at the the end of the hall. The moment he threw me in there, he started hungrily attacking my lips with his own. I didn't object, though, and let him kiss me and rub me all over. I looked around in the room, which was clearly his. A few movie posters and some book shelves scattered the walls, along with a desk and bed the size of my whole apartment. His room was so big that he even had a sitting area with a couch. I saw some french doors across the room, that must have led out to a balcony.

He didn't exactly give me much time to take it all in, he was kissing every part of my skin that was exposed. "Do you... have any idea... how hard.... it was...to see you that whole...ride... and _not_  ... be able... to touch you?" He asked between kisses. I chuckled a little, and let him do what he wanted. He pulled me off the wall and onto his bed, while pulling at my shirt. "Eren...." I said breathlessly. "I really do want to explore though..." I felt a little embarrassed that I was cutting him short, but in a house this big, you can see where I get my curiosity. "Explore... later." He said, practically ignoring my words. I sighed and flipped us over so that i was straddling him. "Explore  _now_." I said holding his face. He took a deep breath and stuck out his bottom lip. I leaned down and kissed him, deeply, before pulling away and whispering in his ear "If you explore with me now, I'll give you a real treat later." I said, kissing and sucking on his ear. 

I felt him smirk and pull himself onto his elbows. "Explore now, fuck later. I can deal. Ok, what do you want to see most? The beach or the horses?"

-

I've never really been too into horses. I don't know why but, they've just never really struck an interest with me. That is, until I saw one up close. "Her name is Aurelia. I've had her since I was 10. Come on, don't be scared, she's nice." Eren coaxed me as he pet the horse. I looked apprehensively at it, and slowly stuck out my hand. She must have been impatient (just like her owner) Because she moved her head so that I was forced to pet her. "She's so... soft." I said, slowly stroking her. "She was a birthday present from my dad. He said that if I could learn to ride a horse, I could spend all summer with him. Funny thing is, it took me all summer to learn to ride her...I don't care though. I'd much rather be with her than him."  I looked over at Eren and realized something.

We both have sensitive parental situation, so we've never gone into depth talking about them, so I didn't really know what his relationship with his father was. I grabbed his hand and walked closer to him. "Will you ride her for me? I've never seen someone ride a horse up close." I said, trying to contain my excitement. That perked him up and he started grinning like an idiot. "Of course! You wanna ride with me?" He questioned, eyes lighting up. I shook my head and held out my hands. "That's ok, I'd much rather observe." I declined. He just shrugged and started preparing her saddle.

In no time, Eren was on top of the creature, cooing her and breaking her in again. He looked happy, like the  _real_ kind of happiness that shines. She started trotting around and showing off, and she came over to me. "Why don't you get on? She likes you, she won't hurt you." He said while I patted her face. I glanced up at him and got slightly more curious. "Do you think she'll be ok with two riders?" I questioned. He lauded and held his arm out for me to take. I reluctantly took it and propelled myself onto the horse. "Whoa!" I said, quickly wrapping my arms around Eren's stomach. He lauded and grabbed her reins; "Hold on, I have somewhere I want to show you." He snapped the reins and she took off.

It was all like a fairy tale; riding a horse by the beach, staying at a mansion the size of a small island, even Eren didn't feel real at times. We were going fast, galloping through short trees making our way down a dirt road that looked like it led to the sea. Eren finally slowed her down when we reached a path that was too narrow for Aurelia to go down. He jumped off first and gave me a hand in getting off. "For someone who's never ridden horses, you were quite graceful getting on and off her." He remarked. I giggled and followed him wherever he was walking. "Where are you taking me Eren?" I questioned playfully. He turned his face around, smirked at me, then grabbed my hand and began running. I couldn't see war was ahead of us, the bushed crowded our view, but Eren walked through the brush no problem.

We made it to a clearing of a tiny cove beach, so small that it was crowded with just the two of us. There were two wooden post on either side of the cove and hanging in-between was a rather large cream colored hammock. "I made this a few years ago whenever I needed to not be in the house." Eren said, shaking out the hammock. He tested it with his hands then climbed into it, deciding it could handle it. I was apprehensive at first, but the offer was too good to pass up. Once I had successfully gotten into the thing, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a deep kiss. "Thank you for coming... It means so much to me.. to share this with you." Eren said, blushing. I just pecked his lips and nuzzled my head into his neck to look up at the sky. 

It was getting gray outside, dark rain clouds gathering up the sky. The air was pretty cold, but not as cold as it was in Maria, and I was thankful for that. We ignored the oncoming rain and indulged ourselves in a peaceful silence, just reminiscing and feeling the air around us. It was... _peaceful._

-

When we finally got back, it had just started to rain heavily and Eren's mother was back from wherever she went. The house smelled like chicken so we wandered into the oversized kitchen where she was with dinner. "Oh perfect! I just finished making dinner, but I didn't know when you would be back. Let's eat!" Me and Eren happily obliged, seeing as we hadn't eaten since one stop at Mcdonalds on the way here.

The food was delicious, it even tasted high-class, and Eren told his mother what we had done today. "... then we just rode Aurelia. It was nice, I missed her." Eren said, with food in his mouth. "Chew with your mouth closed, honey. And Mikasa, Eren told me that you're from the country, is this your fist time seeing the ocean?" She asked. I shook my head, "I used to come for vacation when I was little. I liked pools better, though." Her eyes widened in surprise, "Has Eren shown you the pool yet?" She asked. I shot a look at Eren and he started to blush. "I showed her outside mostly, I forgot to show her the pool. We can go swimming if you want tomorrow, it's an indoor pool."

Now it was my turn to look surprised. "An indoor pool?" Before Eren could comment his mother spoke up. "She can't tomorrow, I'm taking her to prepare for the ball. You have a lunch with your father any ways." She said, cutting her food. I gave a puzzled look and Eren slammed his fist down. "I thought you said that we didn't have to go to that this year? You didn't mention it on the phone." Eren said, though his teeth. His mother just kept cutting her food. "I couldn't tell you. You wouldn't have come home, and you defiantly wouldn't have brought Mikasa. Besides, we do it every year, I thought it went without saying." Mrs. Jeager didn't even look up to meet Eren in the eyes. He shot up from the table. 

"Mom, we're not going! You can't force me to act like a family with him a few times a year then pretend he doesn't exist for the rest of it?" He shouted at his mother. Her face shot up, red as his. "Enough Eren! He is your father and his is paying for your education. You will do what he ask's of you, understood?" She retorted at him. 

He pushed his chair out, grabbed my hand and said, "Let's go Mikasa." I followed him out of the kitchen and down the hall to his room. He slammed the door shut behind him and and banged on it with both his fist. "It isn't fair! He want's nothing to do with us until it's convenient for him! That's not how a family works, its so fucked up!" He shouted, pacing across his room. I let him scream out his anger and waited until he sat down on his bed with his face in his hands. I sat next to him and rubbed his back.

"it just doesn't make sense to me. All the people who will come already know were estranged. There's no point in putting on a show for those assholes." He huffed. Finally he calmed down and laid his head in my lap and looked up at me. "I'm sorry... I should be making sure you're having a good time and now you have to put up with this shit..." He grabbed one of my hands and started playing with my fingers, I just patted his hair and rubbed his face. "It's ok. I am having a good time. It's only for one night. I think I can handle it." I said, giving him a small smile. He lifted his body up and pulled me into a sweet kiss.

"Thank you... for being... you." He said, caressing my face. I smiled and leaned into another kiss.

We ended up picking up where we left off that afternoon.


	15. Ball Gowns

_There were eyes all over me, scanning and judging my every inch. I clawed at my skin, wanting to make myself disappear. I felt them closing in on me, trapping me with their whispered judgements, until the became screams that made my ear drums burst. I felt hot blood all over my body and felt myself being singed all over, with their thoughts of me. **WORTHLESS, DISGUSTING, MURDERER**. They were being burned onto my skin, in every area they could find, until there was no more skin for them to cover. I felt laid flat, nothing I could do to stop this, and let let the hot tears fall from my eyes.  _  

-

I sat up, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. It took me a minute to realize where I was; not in the comfort of my apartment, but in a room so grad, it was practically a palace in itself. I had chosen the guest room closest to Eren's room so that if I needed something I didn't have to find it by myself. But, a new addition was made to it this morning; a tray of breakfast foods were in a cart next to me and Eren's mother was opening the curtains. I clumsily grabbed the sheets and huddled them around me. "Good morning, Mikasa! We have a big day ahead, so I thought I'd go ahead and make you some breakfast. Eren's in the shower, but he said he'll come eat when he's finished." She said, smiling brightly. I gave her a smile back, and tried to fix the nest that was my hair. "Thank you very much... for everything. I really appreciate you letting me stay here. And sorry about last night..." I said, trying to fix myself slightly more, seeing as she was already dressed with makeup on. "Oh don't worry about it! Eren's never brought home a girl before, so I'm glad that I get to meet you. And don't think about last night too much. You know Eren pretty well by now, you knows how his temper is, but we've already made up. I think he inherited it from me!" She laughed, sitting down next to me.

"But today is all about us! We have an annual Thanksgiving ball that my family attends for my husband, and I wanted to get you a gown to wear tonight. Eren told me that you really aren't used to things like that so I figured I'd give you some tips for tonight, is that ok?" She asked. I nodded fast,"of course. I would appreciate it a lot." For some reason, whenever she spoke, her words sounded much more refined than mine. Mrs. Jeager smiled, told me to eat and get ready, then left the room. I got up and started exploring around the room, since I'd been so tired last night, I didn't get a chance to really marvel at it. The windows must have been 15 feet tall, with a beautiful view of the ocean and moutons just beyond it. The outside look frigid, but inside felt toasty warm. 

While I was staring out over the sea, Eren came in, just in his underwear and still with wet hair. He came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my hips and rested his chin on my shoulder. "My view is so nice from here." I said. He just kissed the back of my neck and said, "So is mine." I turned around to face him and he started kissing my lips. I groaned and push him away. "We can't right now... I have to get ready to go out with your mom." I said, trying to keep him off me. "Ughhhh!" Eren moaned as he flopped on my bed. "But hey," I said, trying to cheer him up, "at least we get breakfast!"

-

I decided to wear one of the nicer outfits that I had packed, and was very thankful for that decision. The store we were in was almost as fancy as Eren's house, and was crawling with women who looked like they popped out of a J. Crew catalogue. I felt slightly self conscious when people started to murmur and look in our direction. "There's a dress I saw here the other day that I want you to try on. I know it will look beautiful on you!" Mrs. Jeager exclaimed. I followed her to wherever she was headed, and she stopped in front of a red dress. Not just any red dress, it was absolutely stunning. "I noticed your scarf and I thought that red would suit you best, don't you think?" I didn't respond to her, I walked up and gently ran my fingers across the fabric. It was a sweetheart neck with over-the-shoulder sheer material with lacy designs  on it. The bodice was covered in the same lace but the solid red behind it, drowned it out slightly. The skirt started a few inches under my chest, and was ruffled sheer fabric that trailed all the way to the floor. I couldn't turn my head away from the dress. "It's amazing... I couldn't ask you for this." I said, dropping my hand. "Of course you can!" She practically shouted.

"You're part of our family now, weather you like it or not. Think of it as a 'thank-you' for keeping Eren so happy. This is the first time I've seen him this happy in a while, and I can't thank you enough. I would be offended if you didn't accept it." She said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I sighed and gave her a conflicted look. "Thank you, I feel like I can't say it enough." I laughed lightly. "Awh, you're very welcome. Now go try on the dress! I'll get an attendant to bring it to you." She said, pushing me into a dressing room.

The dress fit perfectly, outlining all of my curves and highlighting all of my good features. I didn't wear dresses often, mostly because my body was too man-ish, but this dress made me look  _very_ womanly. Mrs. Jeager bought the dress for me, along with a coat and shoes for tonight. It was really becoming a fairytale now, ball and everything.

When we got back to the house, she pushed me into the shower and told me that she arranged for her hairdresser and makeup artist to come over around 3. I decided to take my time, and enjoy the sea salt enfaced bath. A few minutes after I got in, I heard the door open. "Some ones in here!" I shouted instantly, covering myself with bubbles. Suddenly, I saw Eren, emerging from the steam the water had put off, shushing me. "What are you doing in here?" I questioned quietly. "Taking a bath with my girlfriend, what does it look like." He said, undressing. "Are you sure? How will you get out without-" "Shhhhh, it'll be ok." He said, climbing in. He sat opposite of me and rubbed my legs. 

"I needed to relax after lunch with my dad." Eren said, pouring the water on himself. "Didn't go so great?" I asked, pulling him over so that he was sitting between my legs with his back pressed agains my chest. I massaged his back and chest, rubbing water and soap all over him, and feeling him relax. "Mmmmm..." he said, "why can't we just do this all night..." I sighed and kissed his shoulder. "Is it really that bad?" I questioned, becoming weary. "It wouldn't be if everyone wasn't such assholes. Everyone who go to it is a bunch of rich pertinacious assholes. They all pretend they like you if you have more money than them. If you have less, then they won't even give you a second look. Everyone is trying to insult each other in a sweet way too. It's sick." He said.

I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I heard that. "Do you think people there will care? That I'm... ya know... not like them?" I asked, trying not to sound as worried as I was. Eren turned around to face me. "Don't worry. They don't know you and you'll be with me. They don't matter. All that matter is us, ok?" He reassured. I smiled lightly, feeling sightly better, and pecked his lips.

-

We finished our bath, and Eren somehow snuck back into his room to get ready. After I dried off and walked out to my room, it had been transformed into a beauty salon. Mrs. Jeager was there, with three other people who were going to make us 'party ready' (in her own words). They blew out my hair, that now reached just past my shoulders, curled it and pined it up with a few strands hanging down. It was a much more sophisticated look than I'd ever be able to do. The makeup artist finished up with Mrs. Jeagers makeup then went onto mine. By the time she was done, I didn't even look like myself. The simple foundation and mascara that I'm used too was amplified by 1000 and I almost didn't recognize who I was in the mirror.

Everyone left to go get changed and I was left in my room all alone to put on the dress. Once I had it on, I couldn't tell if what I saw in the mirror was a picture or not. I looked good, like  _really good._  Maybe I would be able to fit in with their crowd after all.

Suddenly a voice at my door way interrupted me from my thoughts. "Mika, can you help me with this godforsaken neck tie? I can't get it to- _wow._ " Eren stopped mid-sentance. "You look gorgeous, Mikasa." I couldn't help the blush creep up my cheeks. "Really? I don't look too silly? It's the first time I've ever worn any thing remotely like this. Is it really ok?" I asked, still worried about fitting in. He let out a small chuckle and walked over to me. "One, you don't look silly. Two, its not just ok. It's so beautiful. I wish you could see me how I see you right now." He said.

I smiled at him, and resisted the urge to kiss him. God knows I didn't need to mess up my makeup tonight. I held out my hand instead and said, "Neck tie." He handed it to me and I started putting it on for him. "I'm going to warn you though, I used to be able to do this, but I've kinda forgotten." I said, biting my lip, trying to get it right. After a few time, it finally looked good and I looked back at us in the mirror. "We look good together." He said. I couldn't help but notice that his tie went perfectly with the color of my red dress. I secretly thanked Mrs. Jeager for her miraculous planning.

A knock on the door interrupted startled me and made me jump slightly. "Who is it?" Eren shouted. The door opened slightly and a middle aged man stuck his head in before walking all the way in. "I thought I'd find you here. Nice to meet you, Mikasa. I'm Eren's father." He said politely. I smiled and nodded my head slightly (how Mrs. Jeager told me to do when meeting people). "Nice to finally meet you." I said. Eren huffed and said "Is there anything you need right now?" I shot him a disgruntled look. "My my Eren. Wonderful job, she is beautiful." He said, walking towards us. "Is there such a problem with meeting my son's girlfriend before we head out?" He said, rhetorically. "Thank you..." I managed to get out.

"Dad, I'd appreciate it if you kept your distance tonight. Ya know, like you do every other day of the year?" Eren said, aggressively. "Well, Mikasa," Mr. Jeager said, ignoring his son, "it is very nice to meet you. I just wanted to inform you that the car will be picking us up in 5 minutes, so please be in the foyer soon. You too, Eren. And please, be on you  _best_ behavior." He turned and walked out of the room at that.

For a second there, he lost his sweet persona that he had come in the room with, an it scared me slightly. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of the night.


End file.
